New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-17
CHILDREN'S BOOKS.
NAV FICTION. FUN AND FACT.


ao,o children a good service in adapting
MI -, rt,le tale Johnny Nut and the "oiueh
. :. II ourmans, Green & Coz from Los lreh'e "i>
po,contres de Jean du Gocue,' III Coh'es u' h
A, riere" by Charles Dculin, whose coiec''o"' Vi ""
,,aaitions and popular stories OF MS h"'i'o pU
10 heen received with much favor In France III "''
Ins hands the story has the coloqual ease Of 'ae
49,, az the Preside and It's naivcte, sprightIineSs anu
,or are delightful. 1t is refreshing to come upon
,oot ,or children which is to be enjoyed "'hou. any
erriere penscc of useful inforinauoh' anu 'no i'
opes who must have come to suspect tue existence "
.ncar coated facts and morals between every nc" p' VI
holiday covers have IN the strange adventures anu
honnv ending OF Johnny Nut holiday DOCK "i'o"
deserves the There is moral to be sure pu' '
moral that We should always be kind 10 anln'''''
respectful to old age, and above all tha' VIC '"o"'
Easily Amused is not likely to ailict Inc hoS' ,,'
soul with a burden of responsibility. lhe "I' y,
,tories for children has many practlUonc4'' ' w
old with such unfegncd simplicity yet VIII ~ ,,
vivacity remain very rare Inc s'S'c ,,
shows Traces OF a certain fairy manners ~ w
again out of sheer nigh spirits apparently 'io
las introduced phrases which SNACK u ''o
rnrl,sh schocboys Deuin's Johnny Nut "ouiu h"'''9
ho ox,resscd himself as wishing to give sone'"u!
. one I'm the eve" But there il little idu'' 10 NC i
with the quality of the English adaptation Inc sly
itself as Mr. Lang points out, although conveyed lon
French Flanders" has points in common Win "Ilh
COLLEEN Goose" with several ancient French o"'""N
od other .nl.s or legends When We have SAID lha o
Illustrations are In sympathy with the text we nave
perhaps indicated their general CHARACTER. ino''
uo,ing formal or lahorod Hcadpieccs ana taiipeces,
ncttc. in the text cleverly dashed on and usia! Ini
of expression, light marginal sketches ana i"oi0 an
pitous half or three quarter page figure s'u''o'
each other with the laNislness OF rel enp'' ~
corcopial task The apt action ana humorous susges-
tious EXPRESSED with few significant INES wen IVY
sent the lighter Illustration in which French a'S's A
Moneut and others are perfectly at home The SIN OF
excessive EXPLANATION is avoided The point is ihalo
directly and .orcibly and when the ceh'ra i'oa Is
ap,arcnt the artist is satisfied. well lac may be- Ihe
sLetchincss of vignette Illustration OF TINS class Is
certainly anything objection so long as the sNec"
Is really expressive. There is no more constru !"
those vivacious Illustrations than in the text ana 'he
s,r o, the text has been thoroughly appreciated anu
delichtfully interpreted Illustrations ana text arc
printed in dccaely tinted ink upon heavy p"e paper
md although the cloth cover with lis CONFUSION VI
designs is not thing of beauty, the general makeup OF
the book is excellent
American boys who have arrived at the age OF cooper
If Cooper is still lead by our schcolboys-wil ma
come stirring tales OF naval heroism in Mr.. Aboots
Rlue Jackets of 1872" (Dodd. Mead Coz HIS
skctches OF the naval battles OF the second war WIFI
Great Britain are preceded by account or the frecu
troubles of 1898 The exploits OF Decatur leii9'
Lawrence Barney Marlborough the victories Oh 'No
Old Constitution and other contests which are among
with considerable spirit and an ehervescent patriotism
which will certainly do ingenious youth no harm.
Stories of daring and self sacrifice i0r the sake u county
and of honor such presented IN TINS Door, III '"o
authors Blue Jackets OF ls6l and In General boue'
hauch's The Medal Of Honor should exercise a stmu-
latng and wholesome influence. MI Abbot may not DC
able to claim any especial originality for his material
he may be uty of errors OF omission and commission
here and there yet the history OF our country Ia not
made so much Of In schools that books Ike these can
be regarded supcriuous Mr. ABBOT has Mmeu 10
expl,n tie causes leading the imbroglo with France
nd Great Britain, and to indicate internal pohca con
cons instead of presenting merely series Of tales OF
adventure His book therefore, has historical con
tinny ard even though IL is hardly an important adii
ton historical literature. the book has It's uses ana IT'S
excuse Tor being The illustrations by Messrs H. W.
Mcvickar and W C. Jackson are remarkable for guam
tity rather than quality
Mr. G. W. Elwarls's illustrations Of the edition OF
Hawthornc's "Tangewood Tales published by
uouchton Mifn Co. due rather to the pressure OF
the current fashion for all Of pietuemakng than
10 Intrinsic fitness to borrow stock phrase OF
moral philosophy Mr. Edwards, evidently young ara
decidedly immature artist las mingled ciasslc!s ana
realism these illustrations without eniyenins the
laborei result either by true fancy or by any hunof
iii, scminule men, weakly and often incorrectly drawn
lis women always ubeautfd AMI his monsters which
agc sometimes merely coarse AMI vulgar as Oh pA-e =
seem likely TO delaci from rather than TO reinforce the
arm of Hawthorcs text 1t IS only with feeling OF
4n That one gilaa- with Baryc's group OF "Ihcsens
aud the Miun.aug the irontispecc OF this vol
uinc AMI elsewhere TIC lack OF really Imaginative
INTERPRETATION and OF feeling for graphic sitna
tons a. apparent the crude rendering OF the nude
tie abscnce OF beauty OF form or iargencss Of line and
the prevalent hcAciness OF the artists manner
Tic tonlercs most pat'etic and poeuca! Of all tic
loliiW booss for Children is Lucts Maci' :" Little
Letter" %. Appleton d Coz Tie author calls 1t" "A
christmas morality for c.i,ren OF any age" and with
truh the small child cut f II enjoy the picturesque
aud cAinsc story, while the world worn olds;er ~
Viii G.stt in is parc anl exquisite siiiit ana Its
charming style.
Mrs. Mocsworh's new story, Little Miss Peggy "
CiAc.nil!an Cob is pretty story concerning an i'm
a-inatiyc chilI whose Imagination needed restraint;
The author shows ia this ia her former BOOKS sym
pathetic inta ion OF the queer feelings ant thoughts OF
ti;dhoOl.
Miss Alcott's Garland for Girls Roberts BrosJ in
slcs anuIb.ro OK sloIt stories al teaching lessons Of
tin.nrss. Lclpiuncss ali gooI sense. Mss Alcotts
syic is always hard ana nccanic, and hcr vocabulary
Is SNAIL. bat lcr meaning is al! that it should be.
TIE pleasant combinations Of amiailc people and still
move amiaD.c AMI conversational animals who
uciadere through the PAGES Tue Joyous story Of
TOTO" may be found again in Mrs !acharlss little
volume. ro;o's Merry Win'er" Q{oberls Er0hers).
Tic host thns in the book is the clever Chinese story
81 Chop Chin
1t -oes without saying that Margaret sidney could not
vr.c anything Uuntercsung. Graceful and funny and
FIJI OF quan; little moral, is Oily and the Captain
o. Lotagop Coz The publishers issue Christina
CocdW u's stcry for girls, After school Days" IL is
Wholesome book intoxicating the virtue of doing cheer
fan! am thoroughly The work that is at hand.